Delaware hosted a Clean Slate Lobby Day at Legislative Hall in Dover, Delaware ahead of the state’s Clean Slate implementation in 2024. Read more in this guest blog post by John Reynolds, ACLU-DE’s Clean Slate Delaware Campaign Manager.

This year marks the seventh consecutive year recognizing April as Second Chance Month.

Ensuring people with an arrest or conviction record have meaningful second chances is important. And in recent years, Clean Slate legislation has emerged as a powerful tool to ensure everyone has a shot at redemption.

The Clean Slate Initiative’s bipartisan endeavor has been successful in passing and implementing laws that automate government record-sealing processes to automatically seal records for those who are eligible.

We need your help to ensure the progress continues.

Use our Second Chance Month Toolkit to show your support of Clean Slate efforts this month. We invite you to use the content in our toolkit as-is or as inspiration for your own content throughout Second Chance Month.

Second Chance Month aims to raise awareness about the importance of ensuring people have access to meaningful opportunities after obtaining an arrest or conviction record. Clean Slate policies have created the largest impact of second chance efforts in recent years, made possible by sustained bipartisan support at the state and federal levels. As a result, over one million people in America have received a second chance through automated record sealing of eligible arrest or conviction records. Millions more are in line to have their record automatically sealed as additional states implement policies already signed into law and more states continue to advance additional Clean Slate legislation.

In a short time, we’ve gone from being an ambitious campaign to a rapidly-growing organization, and there’s so much more to come. Learn more in this blog post about the Clean Slate Initiative’s growth.

The end of a year is a natural time for reflection — so let's take a moment to reflect on all the incredible things we accomplished together in 2022.

We're closing out this year with seven active state campaigns and several other states working to launch their own campaigns. This year we passed Clean Slate legislation in Colorado and Oklahoma, and our friends at Californians for Safety and Justice passed legislation in California. Our team also made progress on support for federal Clean Slate legislation. Every day, you work hard to deliver real second chances to folks in your states, and each win – no matter how big or small – fuels the growth of this movement.

I am sharing this message with mixed emotions: Erin George, National Campaigns Manager for Clean Slate Initiative has transitioned out of our organization and into what is a dream role for her. Erin has moved into a leadership role as National Director of Policy at The Bail Project, and I am so excited for her new chapter.

As we honor those who served in our armed forces this Veteran’s Day, I think about how we can serve our veterans as well as they have served us. according to the Veterans Justice Commission's preliminary report, “[e]mployment is one of the most well-documented barriers to successful reentry for individuals leaving prison.” Learn more in this blog post by Sheena Meade.

“We applaud President Biden’s executive action pardoning Federal simple marijuana offenses. The action is a good first step in helping working Americans overcome the barriers created by having a conviction on their records.

“Now it’s time for Congress to take the next step. There are tens of thousands more that have past records that are barriers to work, housing and education. It’s time for federal lawmakers to pass the Clean Slate Act, legislation that allows people with an eligible past record who have completed their sentence and stayed crime-free to petition for record sealing and which automates sealing for all low-level drug offenses. ..

In September 2022, California became the eighth state to enact a Clean Slate law when Governor Gavin Newsome signed Senate Bill 731 (SB 731). The bill expands automatic and petition-based record sealing for a range of offenses, which opens the door for record relief for over a million people.

Lukee Forbes is the Civil Rights Coordinator for the Hudson Catskill Housing Coalition. After serving seven years in prison for a charge that was ultimately overturned on appeal, Lukee has consistently pursued his passion for mentoring and reaching out to the youth. He shared part of his perspective at the Clean Slate Initiative's 2022 Annual Convening in Detroit.

Watch the video to learn more about the work of the Clean Slate New York coalition in their efforts to help 2.3 million people in the state have fair access to meaningful employment, housing, education, and other opportunities.

Click here to learn more about Lukee and here for more on the work of Hudson Catskill Housing Coalition.

Ahead of the committee markup, Sheena Meade, executive director of the Clean Slate Initiative, released the following statement:

“Working families deserve every chance to create a better life for themselves. Unfortunately, one in every three people in our country today has a past arrest or conviction record that impedes their ability to get a job, secure housing, get an education, and otherwise participate in civic life.

“Thankfully, bipartisan support in recent years has led to red, blue, and purple states passing Clean Slate laws that give people a fair chance at meaningful opportunities. Today, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee has an opportunity to ensure people with federal records are not left behind.

Scott Peyton is the Louisiana and Mississippi State Director for Right on Crime. He has witnessed firsthand the need for criminal justice reform, the impacts of rehabilitation and re-entry programs, and the inner workings of the Louisiana Probation and Parole system.

Just one year after her release from prison, Maggie began advocating for a host of women’s dignity bills and, throughout Texas’s 2019 legislative session, she encouraged lawmakers to support reforms including conditions of confinement. In her role, as a Policy Analyst and the Community Outreach Coordinator at the Texas Center for Justice and Equity, Maggie is focused on creating advocacy opportunities for system-impacted Texans.

The Clean Slate Initiative will premiere a new video in its Storytellers series on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of National Expungement Week. The videos were captured at our Annual Convening in Detroit, MI, in May of 2022.

…Ahead of the press conference, Sheena Meade, executive director of the Clean Slate Initiative, issued the following statement:

“Congress has the opportunity to increase access to meaningful employment, education, and other opportunities for millions of Americans by passing the Clean Slate Act and the Fresh Start Act. We have seen the transformational impact of Clean Slate laws on millions of working people in the states that have adopted these policies. It’s promising to see Congress building on that momentum and advancing these long overdue measures at the federal level.

“We know that 100 million Americans, one out of every three people in this country, face barriers solely because they have some kind of record. This bipartisan effort to pass Clean Slate Act and the Fresh Start Act would help get people back to work, boost local economies, and save taxpayers money in the long run. It’s time to ensure all Americans are given a fair shot at creating a better life for themselves and their families.”

A bipartisan group of lawmakers and supporting organizations are holding a press conference to share information about two critical pieces of criminal justice reform legislation moving in Congress. The two bills would, for the first time, enable people with federal arrest and conviction records to petition to clear those records and support increased access to automatic record sealing for eligible offenses at the federal and state levels. The two bills have bipartisan sponsorship and are advancing through the U.S. House of Representatives committee process.

On June 3, 2022, the New York State Legislature adjourned its legislative session without enacting The New York Clean Slate Act (S1553/A6399), a measure that would have automated the sealing of certain conviction records

On June 1, 2022, the New York State Senate passed Clean Slate legislation that will automate the record sealing process for certain offenses, allowing more New Yorkers to earn a living, support themselves and their families, and positively contribute to their communities.

Governor Polis signed SB22-099 into law, making Colorado the seventh state to enact Clean Slate legislation. The bill passed both legislative chambers by large margins and broad bipartisan support.

Last week, partners from across the country gathered in Detroit for the Clean Slate Initiative’s First Annual Convening. While we certainly did our fair share of celebrating Clean Slate victories, the Convening focused on building the movement’s future.